Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez collected one hit in each of the five National League Division Series games. But through the first three contests, Gonzalez was held without an extra-base hit.
He homered in Game 4, and hit a game-deciding home run off Chicago Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks in Game 2 of the NL Championship Series. Gonzalez has at least one hit in six of the Dodgers’ seven games this postseason entering Thursday’s Game 3 of the NLCS at Dodger Stadium.
“First three games of the Division Series, I was trying to just hit the ball the other way and have good at-bats,” said Gonzalez during a postgame interview on Fox Sports 1 after the Dodgers’ 1-0 victory at Wrigley Field.
“That wasn’t [working] for me, so I just decided to be a little more aggressive and swing harder. I changed a little bit of my mechanics, got a little more of my backside [involved] and just tried to let it go. It’s gotten me to a point where I feel good right now.”
This postseason the veteran first baseman is a combined 7-for-27 with two home runs, five RBI, two walks and six strikeouts. Gonzalez is 3-for-7 against the Cubs, including a game-tying, two-run single off Aroldis Chapman.
Tinkering with his mechanics is nothing new for Gonzalez. He did so earlier this season in response to being hampered by a pinched nerve that affected Gonzalez’s entire left side of his body. In August, he made a switch to heavier weight lifting, and it correlated with a surge at the plate.
